Why do school buses always stop at railroad tracks?

Ever heard the legend of the haunted train tracks in San Antonio, Texas? It’s said that when cars stall on train tracks, the spirits of children killed in a school bus/train accident push them off to safety. So, when the short span visible on either side of the bus looked clear, he accelerated to cross the tracks.

Why do buses stop for no reason?

It’s because the driver is ahead of schedule. It that stop is a 12:15 stop and the driver arrives at 12:11, the bus will wait there until 12:15. The alternative would be to leave early, which could leave behind passengers who expected to be able to catch the bus at 12:15. For timetabling/scheduling reasons.

Why do trucks have to stop at railroad tracks?

Why must they stop? To listen for approaching trains, of course. Here’s what the WAC says as regards to school buses: “The school bus driver shall open the door and driver window to listen for approaching trains.

Why do school busses open their doors at railroad crossings?

Stopping the bus and looking for trains works great when the visibility is good, but it’s useless in snow and fog. Opening the bus door (and driver’s window), allows the driver to hear trains. Today, opening the door and/or driver side window is law in many parts of the United States and Canada.

Can a train weigh 12 million pounds?

The average train weighs 12 million pounds, so the weight ratio of a train to a car is about 4,000 to one. This compares to the weight ratio of a car to an aluminum can. The same thing happens to the car hit by a train as happens to a can run over by a car—it gets squashed.

Why do commercial vehicles stop at railroad crossings?

Because of their size and weight, fully loaded commercial vehicles take much longer to come to a full stop than conventional cars. Their brakes have to work that much harder to bring all that mass to a stop.

Why are the tops of school buses White?

A pilot program in North Carolina in the early 1990s tested the theory that a school bus with a white roof would make for a cooler experience for the passengers. The program found white-topped buses had internal temperatures an average of 10 degrees cooler than yellow topped buses.

What are two reasons you should never walk on railroad tracks?

Railroad tracks, trestles, yards and equipment are private property and trespassers are subject to arrest and fine. If you are in a rail yard uninvited by a railroad official you are trespassing and subject to criminal prosecution; you could be injured or killed in a busy rail yard.

Who is at fault when a train hits a car?

Due to the tremendous weight differential between a car and a train, the force of a 30-car freight train hitting a vehicle is the same as the force of a car crushing an aluminum soda can. When a collision occurs between a car and a train, the vehicle owner is sometimes at fault.

Do semi trucks have to stop at railroad crossings?

A truck carrying any quantity of Division 2.3 chlorine, hazardous material as defined in the Hazardous Materials Regulations of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) must stop at railroad crossings. A truck carrying any cargo with a temperature above its flashpoint must stop at railroad crossings.